Cribb Island Writing Prompt
by SasukeCorvin
Summary: This is a short story that I wrote based on Samuel Wagan Watson poem Cribb Island. You don't actually have had to read Cribb Island for this to make sense. It's about a town of ghosts that is going to be destroyed by the living.


**Ghost**

I gently scooped up the dirt in to the palm of my hand, admiring its warm browns and soft oranges. It was beautiful. Cupping the dirt I carefully made my way across the town, making sure not to bump into any of the other ghosts as I went.

Soon I arrived at an old dust covered house that has three windows with amazingly only one broken, that I remember as being green when I was alive. Or was it blue? I'm not sure. It might have been red… but that doesn't matter anymore, now it is the colour of the beautiful dust it is covered in. I carefully made my way into an old bathroom and threw my dirt in the air watching as it parted, coating the… bathtub? ... Yes the bathtub in dust making it beautiful like the rest of the house.

Having delivered the dirt I made my way through the wall outside to meet up with the other ghost, so we could gather and discuss the events that have been happening in the town.

When I got to the gathering I sat down in the circle next to the ghost Anka, I think their name was Anka or was it Anne? Or where they called Fish? I'm not sure. It doesn't matter anyway.

"Is there anything of concern that we all need to know?" a ghost inquired. What was their name? Chief or something? I can't remember. Another ghost who I know is named Dheran rose from the circle.

"I think I've seen some non-ghost around the east side of town. Or maybe the west side? Or even the north side? … What was I talking about again?" Dheran mumbled sleepily.

"I'm sure it means nothing. Anyone else have anything to say?" the Chief said in a monotone voice. "No one? Well then you can all leave."

* * *

 **Mandu**

The plane scraped harshly against the ground as it landed, I am glad to finally, arrive at the deserted town on the outskirts of Brisbane, happy to get out of the cramped, small plane, even if I'm in the middle of nowhere.

"Mandy, hurry up" one of the guys, Craig, who is a part of my demolition team yelled to me from the Ute parked near the plane.

"I'm coming, be patient" I yelled back with a yawn. "And my name isn't 'Mandy' its Mandu. Get it right." As I approached the Ute I heard Craig laughed. I throw my duffle onto the bed of the Ute and climb in to the passenger side.

"So how far are we from the demo site?" Craig inquired

"We should be crossing the boundary about no-" I cut off with a shudder, a shiver of unease slithering down my spine.

"You good mate?" Craig asked worriedly.

"I'm good, its nothing." I said "We're here now." Craig looks at me in concern before he parks the Ute and we both climbed out. As my feet touched the ground I felt a strange tingling rush up my spine that reminded me of being watched. I jerked around trying to find the person who was staring at me, I found no one.

"You sure that your good Mandu?" Craig said "Maybe you should lay down."

"I'm fine." I replied "I just felt like someone was watching me."

"If you say so mate" Craig replied. "We should set up the tents any way. I hear it get real cold at night here."

"Sure"

"And we should get up bright and early and start the demolition." Craig said casually.

"Craig I've already agreed to get some rest." I said with annoyance colouring my tone. "No need to come up with bad excuses."

"Sorry." He said sheepishly "Let go to bed."

* * *

 **Ghost**

I paused in my dust collecting to stare at the people standing in front of me. One had skin like the sky at night and hair like my beautiful dirt and the other was nearly their opposite with skin like sand and hair like the setting sun. I was drawn to the one of the night sky and the wonderful dirt, I think the sand one, Craig, called him Mandu. Mandu reminded me of myself for so reason that I can't recall. I was slightly alarmed to hear that they were going to demolish something but it probably doesn't matter.

I followed them to where they were going to set up their tents and watched them. It was strangely interesting to watch the living do their strange things that seemed so familiar but so foreign to me.

After they had fallen asleep for the night I resumed my dirt collecting but this time instead of adding it to the town I started to cover Mandu's tent it the beautiful dirt.

* * *

 **Mandu**

When I woke up in the morning it was to the shock of discovering that my tent was now strangely covered in dirt even though Craig's tent was completely clean.

"I'm going to go have a look around." I remarket to Craig "See if I can find what covered my tent in dirt."

"It was probably the wind mate." Craig replied "But whatever you do you."

I made my way into the town parsing deserted buildings and empty streets. This place must have been so lively once but now is so empty. I wonder what happened to the people that use to live here. Did they all leave? Why? Did they get sick and die? Or did they just abandon the town for better pastures? I makes me curious.

As I turned the corner I saw a person walking down the street seemingly aimlessly. I called out to them but I don't think they herd me. I decide to follow them and see what they were doing.

I followed them to a small cave not far from the town where they sat down in a circle with other people who shouldn't be here. I decided to watch.

"Is there anything of concern that we all need to know?" One of them inquired. The one that I followed stood up.

"There are two non-ghosts camping near our town and I believe that they intend to destroy it." They said. Many of the ghost? The whatever's started to whisper amongst themselves.

"This is a problem." The first one said "But I am not sure how we can fix it. We could try to scare them away?" A new ghost stood up.

"I think we should just ignore them. This is our town and they won't destroy it." They declared.

"We should all go and think about this and reconvene after the next sunrise." The one who I believe is the Chieftain said. "Well then you can all leave." One by one they all rose and left back to the town. As they left the cave they would disappear from my sight. Soon only my ghost was left. I walked up to them.

"So this land is yours?" I said casually to them. They jerked to look at me.

"You can see me? Of course you can or you would not have spoken." He said. "Yes this is our land. All of us lived and died on this land."

"How did you get here? Where you born here?"

"No, I was born elsewhere. I was brought here."

"But this is your home right? These are your paintings on the walls?"

"Yes this is my home. My family helped paint these walls so they would tell a story, the story of my people."

"Then I can't destroy it. This is sacred ground. I am standing on a massive unmarked grave. The government has to recognise that this is I sacred site, they can't let this demolition happen."

"What will you do?"

"I'm going to stop the destruction."

 _on deserted streets_

 _forgotten newspaper dance,_

 _dust keeps its appeal_

 **Reversed**

 **Ghost**

I paused in my travels to stare at the Living in front of me. One had skin like the sky at night and hair like dirt and the other was nearly their opposite with skin like sand and hair like the setting sun. I was angered by the sand one being on my land, my sacred ground. The one of the night sky, Mandu, called him Craig. This Craig should not be on this sacred land, it is not meant for his kind. I knew that I would have to get rid of them so that this Craig would not taint my land for much longer.

I followed them to where they were going to set up their tents and watched them. It made my furious to see them place their tents, the thought of them staying on my precious land made my stomach turn.

After they had fallen asleep for the night I paced around the tents considering how I would force them to leave. I decided to go fine the rest of the ghost as I would need them for my plan.


End file.
